The present invention provides a catalyst composition for the polymerization of olefins, which comprises the reaction product of a spirocycle, a complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides, and an activating cocatalyst.
In the field of single-site polymerization of olefins, typical catalyst compositions comprise organometallic catalysts such as metallocenes contacted with activating cocatalysts such as alumoxanes. The synthesis and isolation of metallocenes can be difficult due to their air and moisture sensitivity. Yields are often poor with more complex kinds of catalysts. Thus, catalyst cost can be substantial. Moreover, it is difficult to change substantially the rates and product properties of these catalysts once they have been made, since the ligand of the catalyst exerts overwhelming control over the catalyst composition properties. Thus, such catalysts are not especially amenable to processes using a variety of conditions or producing a variety of products.
Catalyst compositions that can be assembled at the site of the reactor are advantageous in terms of cost because isolation and purification is avoided. Moreover, catalysts previously considered non-isolable or catalysts that could not even be made in impure form can be readily made by self-assembly. Self-assembled catalyst compositions can also be extremely versatile. Catalyst composition properties can be tuned by adjusting the various components of the catalyst composition.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,378,567 and 5,451,555 to Tajima et al. relate to catalyst compositions for the homopolymerization or copolymerization of olefins. The catalyst compositions comprise a first compound of the formula Me1(OR1)pR2qX14-p-q, wherein Me1 is Ti, Zr, or Hf, a second compound of the formula Me2(OR3)mR4nX2z-m-n, wherein Me2 is a Group I-III metal, and a third compound that is an organocyclic compound having two or more conjugated double bonds. A variety of organocyclic compounds are described in these patents, none of which are spirocycles.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,071 to Kataoka et al. describes a process for the polymerization of olefinic hydrocarbons carried out in the presence of a catalyst component derived from reacting a compound of the formula Me1R1nX14-n, wherein Me1 is Ti, Zr, or Hf, a compound of the formula Me2R2mX2z-m, wherein Me2 is a Group I-III metal, an organocyclic compound having two or more conjugated double bonds, and an inert carrier, along with a modified organoaluminum compound having Alxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94Al bonds. Again, a variety of organocyclic compounds are described, none of which are spirocycles.
Derwent Abstract 96-088466/10 for DE 4434640 relates to the in situ production of a bridged metallocene catalyst by reacting a cyclopentadiene with a base, a bridging reagent, and a metal compound. The resulting stereorigid catalyst may be used for the polymerization of olefins.
Applicant has now discovered a self-assembled catalyst composition that may be easily and cost effectively made. The catalyst composition comprises the reaction product of a spirocycle, a complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides, and an activating cocatalyst. The catalyst composition may contain a solvent as well, and is preferably used in unsupported, liquid form. Isolation of the catalyst composition or intermediates thereto is not required. Combinations of different spirocycles, complexes of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides, and activating cocatalysts can lead to versatile catalyst compositions that can be altered on-stream to match product and process requirements. Conditions used during catalyst composition formation such as temperature and concentrations of the reactants also can be used to control the properties of the resulting catalyst composition and polymer product.
The invention provides a catalyst composition comprising the reaction product of:
a) a spirocycle of the formula: 
including oligomers thereof,
wherein each R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 is independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, or a heteroatom-containing group; and any two or more R groups may be joined to form a ring;
b) a complex of the formula [LmMXn]r wherein each L is a neutral ligand, M is an atom selected from Groups 3 to 14 and the Lanthanides, each X is an anionic group, m is an integer of 0 or greater, n is an integer of 0 or greater; and r is an integer of 1 or greater; and
c) an activating cocatalyst.
The invention also provides a process for the polymerization of olefins, which comprises contacting under polymerization conditions olefin with the above catalyst composition.
The catalyst composition comprises the reaction product of at least one spirocycle, at least one complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides, and at least one activating cocatalyst.
The spirocycle has the formula: 
wherein each R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5, is independently hydrogen; hydrocarbyl such as alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, or alkynyl; or a heteroatom-containing group such as alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, halo, a silicon atom, or silicon-containing group. A heteroatom-containing group is any group containing at least one atom that is not carbon or hydrogen. Preferably, any hydrocarbyl group contains from 1 to 50 carbon atoms. Similarly, any alkoxy or aryloxy group preferably contains from 1 to 50 carbon atoms. Any two or more R groups may be joined to form a ring. In the case of R1 through R4, two adjacent R groups may comprise one or more arene rings fused to the cyclopentadiene ring.
Furthermore, two or more such spirocycle moieties can be linked by one or more linking groups such as hydrocarbyls or heteroatom-containing groups to form a dimer or other oligomer. As used herein, an oligomer of a spirocycle means two or more spirocycles linked together by such linking groups.
Examples of spirocycles include include 1,1-diphenylspiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene, 1-phenylspiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene, 1,1-dimethylspiro [2.4]hepta-4,6-diene, 1-methylspiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene, 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylspiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene, 5-methylspiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene, 5-phenylspiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene and spiro[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene.
Preferred spirocycles contain at least one cyclopentadiene ring that is spiro-fused to a second 3 or 4-member ring (n=2 or 3), especially a three-membered ring. Most preferred are the following spirocycles: 
The spirocycle may be made in any manner. One useful synthesis method from common precursors is described in to Kawase, T; Kurata, H; Fujino, S.-i.; Ekinaka, T.; Oda, M. Tetrahedron Letters, 7201, 1992. Spirocycles are also commercially available from many sources, including Fluka Chemicals.
For example, 4,5-Benzo-1,1-[2.4]hepta-4,6-diene may be synthesized by lithium reduction of 1-(diphenylmethylene)indene (synthesized by the method of Baizer, J. J.; Anderson, J. D. J. Organic Chem. 1965, 30, 1348-51) to give the dilithio salt, followed by addition of methylene chloride to make the spirocycle.
The complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides has the formula [LmMXn]r. Each L is the same or different neutral ligand, such as Et2O, tetrahydrofuran, Et3N, or pyridine.
M is an atom selected from Groups 3 to 14 of the Periodic Table and the Lanthanides. Preferably, M is an element selected from Groups 3 to 6 and the Lanthanides. More preferably, M is a Group 4 element.
Each X is the same or different anionic group, such as halide, alkoxide, amide, hydrocarbyl, acetylacetonate, carboxylate, carbamate, amidate, or aluminate anion such as tetramethylaluminate or tetrachloroaluminate.
The letter m is an integer of 0 or greater, the letter n is an integer of 0 or greater; and the letter r is an integer of 1 or greater Examples of the complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides include titanium (IV) chloride, titanium (IV) bromide, titanium (IV) iodide, titanium (IV) diethylamide, titanium (IV) t-butoxide, titanium (IV) acetylacetonate, zirconium (IV) chloride, zirconium (IV) bromide, zirconium (IV) iodide, zirconium (IV) diethylamide, zirconium (IV) t-butoxide, zirconium tetrabenzyl, zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate, zirconium (IV) perfluoro acetylacetonate, zirconium (IV) pivalate, zirconium (IV) diethylcarbamate, zirconium dichloride bis(acetylacetonate), hafnium (IV) chloride, hafnium (IV) bromide, hafnium (IV) iodide, hafnium (IV) diethylamide, hafnium (IV) t-butoxide, hafnium tetrabenzyl, hafnium (IV) acetylacetonate, hafnium (IV) pivalate, hafnium (IV) diethylcarbamate, and hafnium dichloride bis(acetylacetonate).
Preferred complexes of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides include zirconium (IV) chloride, zirconium (IV) bromide, zirconium (IV) diethylamide, and zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate. More preferred are zirconium (IV) chloride, zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate and zirconium (IV) diethylamide. Most preferred are zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate and zirconium (IV) diethylamide.
The activating cocatalyst preferably is selected from alumoxanes such as methylalumoxane, modified methylalumoxane (MMAO), and isobutylalumoxane. Boron alkyls, boron aryls, and organoaluminum compounds such as triisobutylaluminum and diethylaluminum chloride, can also be used. The activating cocatalyst can be neat, in solution, or supported on a suitable support. Most preferred as the activating cocatalyst is MMAO in an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent. With some catalyst compositions according to the invention, it is preferred to use a mixture of activating cocatalysts.
Optionally, the catalyst composition may also comprise an olefin adjuvant. It has been found that olefin adjuvants added to the catalyst composition during its formation increase the activity of catalyst composition. Suitable olefin adjuvants include ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 2-butene, 1-hexene, isobutylene, diisobutylene, and dienes. Preferred are 1-butene and 1-hexene.
The catalyst composition is preferably used in unsupported, liquid form, such as a solution, dispersion, or neat liquid as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,036, or formed in-situ during polymerization. It is most preferred to use the catalyst composition as a solution in one or more solvents to facilitate handling. Preferred solvents include pentane, hexane, isopentane and toluene. The catalyst components need not be soluble in the solvent(s).
The catalyst composition may also be impregnated onto a solid, inert support, spray dried as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,310, or in the form of a prepolymer. In the case of a supported catalyst composition, the catalyst composition may be impregnated in or deposited on the surface of an inert substrate such as silica, carbon black, polyethylene, polycarbonate porous crosslinked polystyrene, porous crosslinked polypropylene, alumina, thoria, zirconia, or magnesium halide (e.g., magnesium dichloride), such that the catalyst composition is between 0.1 and 90 percent by weight of the total weight of the catalyst composition and the support.
Catalyst composition assembly, i.e., contacting of the spirocycle, the complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides, the activating cocatalyst, and optionally the olefin adjuvant, can be carried out under a variety of conditions. The order of addition and concentration of the catalyst components, and the time, temperature, solvent if used, and pressure during contacting may vary.
The catalyst components can be mixed in any order. The preferred order of addition depends on the nature of the spirocycle, the complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides, the solvent (if used), and the activating cocatalyst, as well as the desired product. The preferred order of addition is to combine the spirocycle with the complex of an atom selected from Groups 3-14 and the Lanthanides in a suitable solvent and then add the activating cocatalyst to this mixture.
The time of contacting the catalyst components can be varied from about 0.1 seconds to about 24 hours. The preferred time depends on the conditions but is normally around 30 minutes.
The temperature of contacting can be varied from around xe2x88x9280 xc2x0 C. to 100 xc2x0 C. but the preferred temperature is around 25xc2x0 C.
Pressure for contacting ranges from 0 to 500 psi, preferably around atmospheric pressure.
The concentration of each catalyst component varies from 1 mM to about 10 M during contacting. For example, when contacting a spirocycle, a zirconium compound, an aluminoxane, and an olefin adjuvant to make the catalyst composition, the concentration of spirocycle is most preferably about 0.002 M, the concentration of zirconium is most preferably about 0.001M, the concentration of Al is most preferably about 0.1 M, and the concentration of the olefin adjuvant is most preferably about 10 volume percent during contacting.
The catalyst composition may be used for the polymerization of olefins by any suspension, solution, slurry, or gas phase process, using known equipment and reaction conditions, and is not limited to any specific type of reaction system. Generally, olefin polymerization temperatures range from about 0xc2x0 C. to about 200xc2x0 C. at atmospheric, subatmospheric, or superatmospheric pressures. Slurry or solution polymerization processes may utilize subatmospheric or superatmospheric pressures and temperatures in the range of about 40xc2x0 C. to about 110xc2x0 C. A useful liquid phase polymerization reaction system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,095. Liquid phase reaction systems generally comprise a reactor vessel to which olefin monomer and catalyst composition are added, and which contains a liquid reaction medium for dissolving or suspending the polyolefin. The liquid reaction medium may consist of the bulk liquid monomer or an inert liquid hydrocarbon that is nonreactive under the polymerization conditions employed. Although such an inert liquid hydrocarbon need not function as a solvent for the catalyst composition or the polymer obtained by the process, it usually serves as solvent for the monomers employed in the polymerization. Among the inert liquid hydrocarbons suitable for this purpose are isopentane, hexane, cyclohexane, heptane, benzene, toluene, and the like. Reactive contact between the olefin monomer and the catalyst composition should be maintained by constant stirring or agitation. The reaction medium containing the olefin polymer product and unreacted olefin monomer is withdrawn from the reactor continuously. The olefin polymer product is separated, and the unreacted olefin monomer and liquid reaction medium are recycled into the reactor.
Preferably, gas phase polymerization is employed, with superatmospheric pressures in the range of 1 to 1000 psi, preferably 50 to 400 psi, most preferably 100 to 300 psi, and temperatures in the range of 30 to 130xc2x0 C., preferably 65 to 110xc2x0 C. Stirred or fluidized bed gas phase reaction systems are particularly useful. Generally, a conventional gas phase, fluidized bed process is conducted by passing a stream containing one or more olefin monomers continuously through a fluidized bed reactor under reaction conditions and in the presence of catalyst composition at a velocity sufficient to maintain a bed of solid particles in a suspended condition. A stream containing unreacted monomer is withdrawn from the reactor continuously, compressed, cooled, optionally fully or partially condensed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,528,790 and 5,462,999, and recycled to the reactor. Product is withdrawn from the reactor and make-up monomer is added to the recycle stream. As desired for temperature control of the system, any gas inert to the catalyst composition and reactants may also be present in the gas stream. In addition, a fluidization aid such as carbon black, silica, clay, or talc may be used, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,534.
Polymerization may be carried out in a single reactor or in two or more reactors in series, and is conducted substantially in the absence of catalyst poisons. Organometallic compounds may be employed as scavenging agents for poisons to increase the catalyst activity. Examples of scavenging agents are metal alkyls, preferably aluminum alkyls, most preferably triisobutylaluminum, and aluminoxanes.
Conventional adjuvants may be included in the process, provided they do not interfere with the operation of the catalyst composition in forming the desired polyolefin. Hydrogen or a metal or non-metal hydride, e.g., a silyl hydride, may be used as a chain transfer agent in the process. Hydrogen may be used in amounts up to about 10 moles of hydrogen per mole of total monomer feed.
Olefin polymers that may be produced according to the invention include, but are not limited to, ethylene homopolymers, homopolymers of linear or branched higher alpha-olefins containing 3 to about 20 carbon atoms, and interpolymers of ethylene and such higher alpha-olefins, with densities ranging from about 0.86 to about 0.96. Suitable higher alpha-olefins include, for example, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-octene, and 3,5,5-trimethyl-1-hexene. Olefin polymers according to the invention may also be based on or contain conjugated or non-conjugated dienes, such as linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbon dienes having from about 4 to about 20, preferably 4 to 12, carbon atoms. Preferred dienes include 1,4-pentadiene, 1,5-hexadiene, 5-vinyl-2-norbornene, 1,7-octadiene, vinyl cyclohexene, dicyclopentadiene, butadiene, isobutylene, isoprene, ethylidene norbornene and the like. Aromatic compounds having vinyl unsaturation such as styrene and substituted styrenes, and polar vinyl monomers such as acrylonitrile, maleic acid esters, vinyl acetate, acrylate esters, methacrylate esters, vinyl trialkyl silanes and the like may be polymerized according to the invention as well. Specific olefin polymers that may be made according to the invention include, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene/propylene rubbers (EPR""s), ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymers (EPDM""s), polybutadiene, polyisoprene and the like.
The following non-limiting examples further illustrate the invention.